A spring to remember in Saratoga County

The spring sports season brought another truckload of titles to Saratoga County.

On the track, three county high school athletes won state championships. On the softball diamond, Shenendehowa added to its trophy case with its sixth consecutive Sectional title. And on the judo mat, a transplant from Tacoma, Wash., earned a trip to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

Saratoga Springs' Madalayne Smith had one of the best individual performances for any high school track athlete in New York when she swept the public school and Federation titles in the 100-meter high hurdles at the state meet in Buffalo. Smith won the Division 1 (large school) title with a time of 14.39 seconds, and she smashed that mark with a winning time of 14.15 seconds in the Federation finals.

Shen's Michelle Quimby was another double winner at the state meet. Quimby took first place in the public school and Federation pole vault by clearing 12 feet.

On the boys' side, Shen's Zac Suriano pulled out a victory in the Division 1 800-meter race by .07 of a second over runner-up Lawrence Campbell of Peekskill. Suriano finished with a time of 1:54.52, while Campbell finished with a time of 1:54.59. Great Neck South's Terrance Livingston was third in a time of 1:54.72, two-tenths of a second behind Suriano.

Several more county runners had top-three finishes at the state meet including Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake's Sam Roecker (second place, girls 3,000-meter race), Saratoga's Hannah Davidson (third, girls 3,000) and the Saratoga girls 3,200-meter relay team (second). Shen placed second in the boys 3,200-meter relay and third in the boys 1,600-meter relay.

As county athletes were racking up state medals, the Shen softball team added to its collection of Sectional championships with a 4-1 victory over Colonie in the Class AA finals. Jen Mongiovi belted a two-run home run, and Amanda Ferro pitched a complete game to lead the Plainsmen to their sixth Sectional title.